


When We Were Young

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: Awkwardness, Childhood Friends, High School Crush, Kid Fic, Love/Hate, M/M, Pulling Pigtails, Secret Crush, harry is a metaphor for all of us tomlinshaw shipppers, i mention the blue power ranger a lot oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:36:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2050173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis has basically had a secret crush on Nick Grimshaw since he was 6 years old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When We Were Young

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I made [this post](http://lewisnicholas.tumblr.com/post/92969058482/gimme-a-fic-where-12-y-o-nick-is-6-y-o-harrys) on my tomlinshaw blog and then spent the next couple days at work writing it. So that's nice.
> 
> Also I once met the actual "Billy the Blue Power Ranger" and he was super nice and still kinda cute. My actual childhood crush on him is expressed through Louis in this, even though I'm pretty sure Louis' real favorite was the red one...

Six years old Louis Tomlinson hopped up the steps of his best friend’s house and knocked on the door exactly three times, before rocking back and forth on his heels and toes, waiting patiently for Harry to answer. However, after about two minutes of waiting, the door was opened by not Harry, but instead his twelve year old step brother, Nick Grimshaw.

“Hello Shrimpy!” Nick said, smirking when Louis’ face began to scrunch up.

He hated that nickname; it wasn’t like Louis was that much shorter than Nick. He totally was, though, not his fault Nick had long, gangly limbs. “Morning, Horse Face.”

Nick laughed at Louis, like really patronizingly, not that Louis knew what that word meant, he just knew he didn’t like Nick’s tone. Nick crossed his arms. “Most people call me Grimmy, Shrimpy, you know that. Besides, ‘ _Horse Face_ ’ is a little old, isn’t it?”

“Old like your ugly horse face.” Louis spat. He placed his hands on his hips and glared at Nick, but in all honesty it was more cute than menacing. Like a teeny-tiny, cute, angry, little mouse. “Is Harry home? I want to play.”

“Yeah, yeah come in yah brat.” Nick said, defeated, and he stepped aside.

Louis grinned at him and skipped inside, straight to the living room, where Harry was sitting on the sofa, watching the Saturday morning cartoons. He smiled widely and waived an enthusiastic hand at Louis when he saw him walk in before Nick. “Hi Lou-Lou! Watcha doing here?”

“Came to open up the new Power Rangers toys you got!” Louis said, plopping on the couch next to him.

“Oh yeah,” Harry said sheepishly. He was only born a little over a month after Louis, so he was small and pudgy like Louis, but he had dark, curly hair like Nick. It confused Louis, because he wasn’t entirely sure what ‘step brothers’ meant, but he didn’t think it meant they were actually related. “They’re upstairs, but Grimmy and I opened them up last night.”

“What?” Louis groaned dramatically. Overly-dramatically. “You chose Horse Face over me?”

“Mummy says it isn’t nice to call people mean names Lou-Lou.” Harry said, hands fidgeting in his lap.

“It’s not mean if it’s _true_.” Louis sighed, sliding down the sofa so he was lying full out, feet kicking onto Harry’s lap. “Hazza, _I’m_ your best friend. You’re supposed to play with all your new toys with _me_ first. It’s the rules.”

“Sorry Shrimpy, guess he likes me better.” Nick said proudly, leaning against the doorway.

“I’m not shrimpy!” Louis shouted, crossing his arms again and sticking his tongue out at Nick. “You’re old and stupid.”

Harry gasped. Nick chuckled. “ _You’re_ a little kid. Why should—”

“ _Guys_.” Harry whined, his lip trembling.

Harry hated when they fought like this. They hated when Harry guilt tripped them like this. The boys surrendered and murmured out apologies to each other, before Harry smiled again and tugged Louis off the sofa. Louis made a point to step on Nick’s toes when they left the room to go upstairs.

He also made a point of loudly shutting Harry’s bedroom door once they were both inside, making it clear that Nick was _not_ invited to their play time. He jumped face first onto the bed and bounced a few times while Harry grabbed the toys. He just got the black Power Ranger and the yellow, completing his set of red, blue and pink. Louis was _always_ the blue one, because he liked Billy on the show and he didn’t mind who else he got to be. Today it was Zack, the black Power Ranger, who was pretty cool, but not as cool as Billy.

“Can’t believe you let Nicholas play with these before me. He better not have laid a hand on Billy.” Louis said as he checked out the black one.

“He likes to be called Grimmy, Lou-Lou, you know that.” Harry said, sighing to himself.

“He’s a knob head, I can call him whatever I want.” Louis stated.

“Lou-Lou, he’s been my big brother since I was two. Why can’t you get along?” Harry asked. He grabbed his figures Lord Zedd and Scorpina, tossing them on the bed. “And no he didn’t touch Billy.”

“Good.” Louis mumbled, holding the action figure close. “I don’t know, his face annoys me.”

“Mum told me when boys are mean to other boys like that it means they fancy them.” Harry said nonchalantly.

“I-I do _not_ fancy Grimmy!” Louis sneered in the most insulted voice he could muster up. However, his words couldn’t hide the deep, burning red that spread from his ears, to his cheek, and down his tan neck. He did _not_ have a crush on Nicholas Grimshaw, and frankly that is the dumbest thing Louis has ever heard in his entire life, ever.

+

The news gets to Louis some months later when Harry is spending the night at his house. Jay, Louis’ mother, has been looking at Harry strangely since he arrived, like she knows some big, haunting secret and won’t tell Louis what it is. He finds out what it is when he and Harry are curled up under their blanket fort in Louis’ room after dinner.

“Lou-Lou, I gotta tell you something.” Harry whispered, twiddling his thumbs, top row of teeth nibbling on his bottom lip.

Louis rolled over onto his back next to Harry, blinking his long lashes at him. “Is everything okay Hazza?”

“N—” Harry’s voice caught in his throat and he started crying almost immediately. “No!”

“Oh Hazza,” Louis cooed, wrapping his arms around Harry’s neck and pulling him down so he could cry it out on Louis’ shoulder. “What happened?”

“M-mummy said she and Peter are getting a—a, um a… she said they aren’t going to be married anymore.” Harry whimpered through his sobs. Louis squeezed tighter; he knew what that was like, because it happened to him only two years ago. “Sh-she also said Grimmy and Peter are moving to London.”

A tiny knot formed between Louis’ throat and heart, like his brain couldn’t decide where he should hurt more. “Nicholas is leaving?”

“Y-yes. I know you don’t like him, but he’s my brother and I love him.” Harry cried. “I-I don’t want him to go.”

Louis didn’t want Nick to leave either. He was the single most annoying person in the entire planet, universe, and world but… Louis knew going to Harry’s house wouldn’t be the same without him. He knew it wouldn’t feel right without Nick there to pester.

The next morning Harry went home after a very quiet breakfast and Louis just sat at the window in the sitting room. He’s so quiet, an unusual change, and he’s just staring out the window, down the street to where Harry’s house is. Eventually Jay came over and sat down with him, hugging his from behind and kissing his hair. She reminded him that he needed to be there for Harry, just like Harry was there for him.

Louis wondered if anyone was going to be there for Nick.

+

The week before moving day has Harry spending as much time with Nick as possible, which leaves Louis on his own. He understood, however, but he was still feeling jealous and left out. But it gave him plenty of time to think, and he mostly thought about Nick, and their old shenanigans. He knew he was going to miss it all. He knew he could never mess with Harry like that, because he was so sensitive.

Louis also never had a reason to make fun of Harry. Harry was his best friend and the best person in the world. But, Louis also thought about what Harry had said to him about Nick. He most certainly did not fancy Nick. For one thing, Nick was stupid and old. For another thing, Nick was a _boy_. And Louis was also a boy. And boys can’t fancy other boys.

So, he didn’t want to think about Nick, but he did. And it started to make Louis actually sad that he was leaving. Louis would probably never see him again. It ate at him and made him squirmy to the point where Louis finally decided to write Nick a goodbye letter. Just one final message before he leaves Louis’ life forever.

He doesn’t know what to say, it’s not like they’re friends or anything. So Louis picked something simple, something very _them_ , and he wrote it as best he could considering he was a child who was still learning to read and write. He folded it up carefully and slipped it into his front pocket, patting it a few times through the fabric. Now he just needed to deliver it.

Louis tip-toed downstairs and to the kitchen where Jay sat reading her book and enjoying am afternoon tea. He leaned on his hands on the opposite side of the table, smiling up at her innocently until she looked at him.

“Alright Darling, what do you want?” She asked, sly smile on her face.

“Could I pretty please go to Hazza’s house?” Louis asked, blinking sweetly at his mother.

“I don’t know Lou,” Jay said, placing the book open on the table. “It’s very busy over there with all the packing.”

“ _Please_?” Louis begged, extending the word as long as possible. “I’ll be good!”

“Okay, but if Anne says you can’t, then you have to come straight home.”

“Thanks mum!” Louis cheered as he darted quickly out the door. He ran to Harry’s house as fast as he could; hand on his pocket to keep the letter in place. He knocked his usual three times and stepped to wait for someone to answer.

The someone who answered was Anne, Harry’s mum. “Hello Louis, Harry isn’t home right now.”

Louis’ hands started fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt. He was beginning to feel a little embarrassed about why he was really there. If Harry had answered, he could have just gone upstairs and slipped the letter under Nick’s bedroom door and that would be all. He didn’t want to actually give it to Nick himself, he would get laughed at. So, Louis pulled the note carefully out if his pocket and held it up in both hands to Anne.

“I just wanted to give this to Nicholas, because he’s leaving. Could you give it to him for me?” Louis asked, not ever looking at her.

“Oh sure Louis. This is very sweet of you.” Anne said as she took the note from him.

“You can’t open it!” Louis said suddenly, worried she would make fun of him, or be mad.

Anne only giggled, however. “Don’t worry sweetheart, only Grimmy will read it.”

“Okay,” Louis nodded his head quickly. “Thank you Miss Anne.”

“You’re very welcome, now run along home. It’s supposed to rain.” Anne said. She stood watching at the door until she was sure Louis was in his house.

+

The note was left on Nick’s bed, but because of all the packing it got pushed onto the ground and forgotten about.

That is until official moving day. Harry was downstairs crying about losing Nick and Anne and Peter were comforting him. They had given Harry a number, email, and a home address so he could keep in touch with Nick and vice versa. Nick said goodbye to him a thousand times and same thing to Anne, but now he just wanted some alone time in his old bedroom.

There was just a bed, a dresser, and a few hangers in the closet left over of his room. There were also a few papers and books lying around, all things that belonged to Anne of Harry that Nick had borrowed. However, when he looked on the ground to the left of where he sat on the bed, he saw a piece of paper he didn’t recognize. It was regular line paper, folded in an almost perfect square. Maybe one of the old notes Nick passed to a friend during class?

He picked it up and carefully unfolded it, but it wasn’t a note from a friend. It was a message written in the messiest, little-kid handwriting Nick had ever seen.

**_I will miss yor big ugly face Nikolas._ **

_♥_ **_Louis Tomlinson_ ** _♥_

Nick started laughing at the note. Of course Louis would pull something like this. Just one last hurrah before Nick was gone for good.  But it is a little weird, the idea of Louis missing Nick. He always thought the kid couldn’t stand him.

Nick pocketed the letter for safe keeping.

+

**Ten Years later**

Sixteen years old Louis Tomlinson walked right through the door of his best friend’s house. He greeted Harry’s mother and her boyfriend, and then jogged up the stairs to Harry’s room. Harry was lying on his stomach on the bed, listening to some band Louis had about zero interest in.

So, Louis jumped right on top of Harry, which in turn nearly gave the boy a heart attack, and he yanked the buds out of Harry’s ears.

“Ow! What the fuck?” Harry shouted, rubbing his newly sore ears.

“Good afternoon to you too dear Harold.” Louis chirped, sliding off Harry’s body and sitting crossed-legged on the floor. “Do you remember what you promised to do with me today?”

Harry groaned and sat up on his side. “Was it dying because your fat ass crushed me on the bed?”

“Harry!” Louis gasped dramatically. “How dare you! Who taught you to speak to a lady in this manner?”

“Oh shut up.” Harry quipped. He tossed a pillow at Louis’ head. “You wanted me to read lines or something, right?”

“Yes please.” Louis said, eyes twinkling up at Harry as he placed the script for Dracula on Harry’s bed. The music Harry had been listening to was still playing softly out of the ear buds. “What is that shit anyway?”

“A band Grimmy told me about.” Harry said with a shrug. He’d been in touch with Nick ever since he had to move away, and apparently Nick is the greatest, most interesting human on the planet.

“No wonder it sounds fucking stupid.” Louis scoffed. He didn’t get along with Nick when they were younger, and thought it would be a nice escape when he moved. He was sadly mistaken, because Harry brought it upon himself to update Louis on Nick’s every move. For years.

Although sometimes Louis remembers the tiny part of his little kid self that didn’t hate Nick. Not at all really.

“You’re only saying this because he tugged your metaphorical pigtails when we were kids.” Harry said, smirking devilishly at his friend. Louis _hated_ when Harry implied he had a school kid crush on Nick. Because it was ridiculous.

The implications got worse ever since Louis came out. Last year he had his ‘Big Gay Existential Teenage Crisis’, as Louis thinks of it, and he has settled on the fact that he liked dicks and girls just weren’t his thing. There wasn’t really anyone surprised by this fact, because to be honest he liked Billy the Blue Power Ranger a little _too_ much more than the other kids. But it was still pretty normal for Louis, except for a few twats at school and Harry’s jokes about Nick.

Today Louis is going to ignore his comment. “Let’s just get started. I was thinking about doing scene—”

“Nick’s doing pretty well actually.” Harry interrupted. “ _Very_ well now I think about it.”

“Here we go.” Louis sighed. “Hazza, I didn’t _ask_ —”

“He got the spot on R1.” Harry said proudly.

“What?” Louis asked, not entirely sure what Harry was talking about.

“Last new year’s I went down to visit and he said he was trying to get a spot on BBC Radio’s weekend show. And he got the spot on the weekend breakfast show.” Harry explained as he turned through the pages of the script.

“Oh,” Louis mumbled. It was actually pretty impressive, especially considering Nick was only, what, twenty two now? He got this straight out of school.

Louis had started drifting into his thoughts, and Harry was still smirking at him, trying so damn hard not to laugh at the look on his face. “Yeah it’s pretty cool. He’s, like, the youngest host they’ve had or something. He’s already got an official Facebook page and everything. Wanna see?”

Harry started taking out his phone, but Louis ended up throwing the pillow back at him. “No I don’t want to see! We need to run these lines, okay? Sam is all over my back because he’s my understudy for Jonathan Harker and I will _not_ let that prick take over my part.”

“Okay, okay, but I’m so texting Nick and telling him you said congrats.” Harry said as he dodged Louis trying to hit him with his book.

+

That night, because now Louis has no self-respect it seems, he finds himself lying on his bed with his laptop next to him. And Nick Grimshaw’s official Facebook page on the screen.

He looks good, is the thing. Nick looks really good now. He used to be so awkward and gangly, and his hair was so messy. Even in his teen years from the pictures Harry would show Louis, Nick was never that handsome. But now… Nick looks like a man.

He’s not hunky, per say, he’s definitely not muscular or anything. But he’s grown into his limbs. And he’s got a killer smile. Most of the pictures Louis looked at have Nick dressed up in really fancy clothes. He wears them quite well.

Louis clicked picture after picture, flipping through almost every single one and he’s starting to heat up. He gets squirming from looking at Nick, and it isn’t until Louis absent mindedly palms himself through his boxes does he realize what the hell he is doing.

No. _No_. Nope. Louis is so not getting off to pictures of Nick Grimshaw.

He made an alarmed sound in the back of his throat and slammed the laptop shut. He even made a point to shove it away from him, as if it was the computer’s fault he was getting hard.

The boy rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking of anything but Nick to make his _problem_ go away. So, Louis thought about that time they went to the park when it was raining, and Nick just _had_ to be there to watch them, but Nick ended up pushing Louis into a pile of mud. And _all_ Louis had done was throw some dirt at him. Rude, honestly. The story ends with both of them being scolded and hosed off in the yard while Harry got to sit in the warm house.

There was a picture from that day somewhere. Peter thought it was all funny so he took pictures of the three kids when they got home. Anne and Jay agreed later, and Jay was given a copy of the pictures to keep. Louis had this box in his room full of old polaroids and other pictures from his childhood actually.

He crawled off the bed and walked to his closet, standing on his tip-toes so he could reach the box. He could still barely reach with the tips of his fingers, but Louis managed to get it down.

He spent the rest of the night going through the pictures in the box. He didn’t even realize how many there were of him and Nick together.

+

A few weeks later Harry forced Louis to listen to a taping of Nick’s first show. Louis insisted to Harry that Nick was neither clever nor funny and his voice sounded dumb. In all honesty Louis really enjoyed the show, and he thought Nick’s voice was incredibly sexy now. He almost melted when Nick for the first time. But Harry was never going to know this.

Just like Harry wasn’t going to know about Louis jerking off that night to the sound of Nick’s voice. Never.

+

_Four Years Later._

Twenty years old Louis Tomlinson was taking his sweet time to get ready in his bedroom in the flat he shared in London with his best friend. He and Harry got into the same school and even moved in together to attend. Louis was going to be a drama teacher. Harry was going into radio.

Harry even already had a part time job at a station, and they were supposed to be at a party for it ten minutes ago. But Louis had to look perfect, because there were going to be celebrities there, apparently. Honestly he wasn’t even sure what the purpose of this party was, because every time Harry talked about it, Louis would blank out. Harry was going to be great on the radio, really he was, but Louis has known him so long that he has become pretty much immune to his voice.

“Lou-Lou, _please_ hurry dear.” Harry called in the most irritated voice he could make for Louis.

“Don’t be a bitch Hazza.” Louis shouted back. He didn’t even have any clothes on yet, but he knew what he was going to wear. Harry came up with a name for outfits like this; ‘Man Catching Party Wear’ and the title fit. This one was a white, knitted sweater, that looked like soft snow on Louis’ tanned skin, red pants that hugged his legs and backside perfectly, and of course red vans with no socks. Louis slipped the outfit on, grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys and strutted out of his room. “Just waiting on you now Haz.”

Harry was sitting on a chair and playing with his phone, but he frowned when he looked at Louis. “No. No you can’t wear that!”

“Why not?” Louis asked innocently, looking down at himself. “You said casual but nice.”

“That is your pull outfit Louis.” Harry said, pointing a finger at his friend. “And you are _not_ going to pull at this party! These are people I have to work with! And hopefully for a very long time!”

Harry was totally right, but Louis wasn’t going to do what he said, he never did. “I’m _not_ going to pull at this party. I just want to help you impress everybody. Look at me; I’m the perfect arm candy.”

Harry scowled, but Louis was too stubborn for him. There was no changing his mind, besides they were already late. “Fine, but I better not get any messages telling me to crash somewhere else.”

+

The party was actually amazing. It was at the home of someone really high up at R1 and there were quite a few celebs Louis recognized. Louis stayed by Harry’s side most of the night, joining him in the conversations with his coworkers, and so far he liked all of them.

He and Harry were at the bar, taking a break from mingling, when Louis asked, “Right, so what’s this party for again?”

Harry’s eyes widened for a second as he sipped his drink, but then he burst out laughing. Louis pursed his lips and glared at Harry with his hands on his hips, until Harry pulled himself together. “Oh god! You really never listen to me do you?”

“Just tell me dammit.” Louis said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, the Breakfast Show got a new host. So, this is for him and his crew.”

“Okay, who is he?” Louis asked, taking a gulp from his drink.

“Nick Grimshaw.”

Louis almost spit out his entire drink onto Harry, but he ended up choking on it instead. Harry just laughed, like the demon he clearly was, while Louis coughed and took deep breaths. “Y-you’re fucking with me.”

“It’s been pretty big news Lou, can’t believe you hadn’t heard from someone else.” Harry shrugged, tipping the bartender.

“I’ve had exams and school to worry about Harold.” Louis spat, crossing his arms over his chest. “This is ridiculous. I haven’t seen him in _years_. You—stop laughing!”

Harry had started giggling again. “I’m sorry, but I knew you would never be here if you actually knew. But it was so long ago. You guys aren’t children anymore, you can be friends. Or _more_ than friends…”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means Billy the Power Ranger wasn’t the only love of your life when we were little.” Harry said, giving Louis a satisfied grin when he turned red.

“Oh shut up.” Louis mumbled. “And don’t bring up my darling Billy at a time like this.” It only made Harry laugh more. Harry never got to be the tricky one in their friendship, and boy was he soaking it up now. Louis continued to glare. “I’m stepping outside. Call if you need me.”

+

Louis had been sitting outside on the balcony for exactly ten minutes before he heard the door open. It was a little dark so; Louis couldn’t tell who it was at first. Until the person noticed him and made a noise.

“Oh, sorry I didn’t know anyone else was out here,” the tall dark stranger said. Louis’ heart stopped, because he knew that voice, he’d been listening to that voice on the radio since he was sixteen years old.

“Um, it’s fine.” Louis whispered. He didn’t know why he was so nervous, it’s just Grimmy. He probably wouldn’t even recognize Louis. “You can join me if you want. You are the man of hour after all.”

“Ha,” Nick laughed nervously, running a hand into his quiffed hair. “Thanks. Bit crazy in there if I’m honest. Can hardly think.”

“Yeah, it’s nice out here.” Louis said. He leaned with his back on the balcony rail while Nick sat on a chair in front of him. “Fresh air, great view of the city.”

“Yeah, great view.” Nick agreed, eyes darting up and down Louis’ body. Holy shit, Nick Grimshaw was flirting with him. Louis couldn’t believe this was happening to him. “I’m Grimmy, I mean you knew that, but there’s no sense in not being proper.”

Nick held out his hand and Louis stared at it. He wasn’t sure how this was going to go. But, he shook Nick’s hand gently and barely whispered, “Louis Tomlinson.”

“Nice to meet you Louis—oh.” Nick dropped his hand and his jaw and stared, shocked. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah…”

Nick cleared his throat for a second, still a little stunned. And then he cracked a smile and fell into a fit of laughter. “Holy shit! So _you’re_ who Harry brought with him!”

Louis groaned with a roll of his eyes and turned around to face the city. Nick hadn’t changed that much. “I’m so happy this whole thing is just so funny for everyone.”

That made the laughter stop and Nick gulped before standing up next to Louis. “Hey, I’m sorry. I’m just surprised is all.”

“Harry said there was a party with celebrities so I couldn’t turn him down.” Louis said with a shrug. “Besides I wanted to try my luck at drunkenly making out with Greg James.”

Nick choked on his own air, forcing out a mixture of laughter and coughing. Louis smiled a little at him. “Valiant mission but I’m afraid you’re not his type—Not that you aren’t hot or anything! Because—”

Nick shut himself up, mouth forming a straight line and eyes widening. He even blushed. Louis cocked his brow at him, sly grin on his lips. “Think I’m hot Grimshaw?”

“Oh shut up, Shrimpy.” Nick mumbled.

Louis only licked his lips and smiled wider. “It’s okay, Horse Face. You’re not the first man to fall under my spell.”

“Of course not.” Nick said, snorting to himself. “Figures you’d be in to boys. Always liked that Power Ranger on an obsessive level.”

Louis groaned. “What is with everyone and Billy tonight?”

“What was with _you_ and Billy when we were kids?”

“He was cute!” Louis whined. “He was smartest one and he’d make all those gadgets and things. Plus _those glasses_. Adorable.”

“So, the hot nerds are your type then?”

“Oh you know it.” Louis replied coyly.

“I wear glasses sometimes.”

“Probably to read because you’re an old man.” Louis retorted.

“Oh very funny.” Nick said. “Not that much older than you. Harry thinks I’m young and hip.”

“And yet you’re out here with me. How nice.” Louis quipped.

Nick laughed quietly, nudging Louis with his shoulder. “Harry tells me about you all the time. Was always catching me up on your life.”

Louis chuckled. “He did the same thing to me about you. I think we’re his favorite people.”

“He’s got good taste in people.” Nick said. He cleared his throat again, swallowing a nervous lump. New, hot Louis was making him sweat, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it yet. “He told me you’re gonna be a drama teacher when you finish school.”

Louis’ face lit up. “Yeah, I can’t wait. Think I’m gonna teach younger kids, you know? I get along with kids.”

“That makes a lot of sense.”

They don’t know how long they spent talking out there, but nobody came looking for them. It was so nice, so different from any reunion scenario either of them could have possibly come up with. They just couldn’t stop talking.

Louis told Nick all about his new Stepfather, who he adored, and his younger sisters. All four of them, and now two more babies on the way. Nick liked knowing Louis was around a lot of children, for some reason it just made sense to him.

Nick told Louis about his job on the weekend show, and how he moved to the late night show, and now was starting the Breakfast Show. He was nervous about it, because Moyles was there for so long and was so popular. Louis said Nick would do a fine job, from what he’d heard. The idea of Louis listening to him all these years made Nick giddy.

They laughed and joked and just talked about anything they wanted. Throughout the conversation, both of them moved closer to each other. When their shoulders were touching, they both tried to play it off, but both were blushing. Eventually Nick got brave enough to reach a hand over and trace it up and down Louis’ arm while he talked. It gave Louis goosebumps.

You wouldn’t even know these two once couldn’t be in the same room without insulting each other.

“You know, I still have that letter you gave me.” Nick said after a while.

“What letter?” Louis asked. At some point he’d started looking at Nick with this dreamy expression. He’s surprisingly okay with it.

“The one you wrote before I moved.” Nick told him and Louis’ heart skipped a beat. “I found it in my room on moving day and I was confused, because I was pretty sure you hated me, but it made me happy. So, I kept it. Got it at my house in a box of other childhood things.”

“Oh Nick.” Louis whispered. He couldn’t believe it. Why would Nick keep it? It was kind of mean and Louis didn’t even spell his name right. Louis squirmed, inching closer and resting his head on Nick’s shoulder. “I had a crush on you. I wasn’t positive at the time, but that’s why I was such a brat. It’s so cliché but you were cool.”

“That’s what Harry always said.” Nick sighed.

“Yeah,” Louis said. “It got worse when we were older and he forced me to listen to your show. I liked your voice. I didn’t say anything to him though, because I knew he would never stop making fun of me.” Louis refrained from mentioning the part where his hormonal teenage self would get off to Nick’s voice on the radio. Bit soon for that.

“Oh man, that’s cute Lou,” Nick said, smiling so much. “You’re not so bad now, you know. You were never so bad, just a kid.”

“Thanks,” Louis shook his head. He looked up at Nick, at this person who by all accounts was technically a stranger, but felt like he knew him. Felt the urge to kiss him.

So he did. Louis leaned up and kissed Nick, and while he intended for it to be quick and innocent, Nick chased his lips and pressed a hand to his lower back, keeping him there. Nick’s kiss was passionate, messy, but good. So good. Louis wrapped his arms around Nick’s neck, smiling into their kiss when Nick licked across his lips. Louis opened and let his tongue in.

If only teenage hormonal Louis could have known this was going to happen.

Nick’s hands slide down Louis’ back and he hums against him. Louis breaks away from the kiss to breathe and Nick immediately goes for his neck, nipping and sucking on the salty skin. Louis squeaks, “Nick, _fuck_ , that feels good.”

A part of Louis thinks maybe this should be weird, considering their childhood. Louis was a six year old the last time he saw Nick and now he’s an adult and their just making out on some rich person’s balcony. This can’t possibly be his life.

But it is and it’s so good.

“Louis could—do you wanna go back to my place?” Nick panted against Louis’ neck.

Louis smirked, “Gonna prove you still have that letter?”

“Sure, among other things.” Nick said, grinning. “Is that a yes?”

“Is that okay? I mean, this party is for you after all.” Louis asked, but he was going to force Nick to take him home either way.

“You kidding?” Nick chuckled. “Lou, they haven’t noticed this long, I doubt anyone will care if we leave now.”

“Right, fuck yeah let’s go.”

+

Sneaking out of the party and hailing a taxi was fairly easy. Kissing sweetly on the street while they waited was fantastic. But then when they crawled into the taxi, Louis quickly settled on Nick’s lap and his mouth was back on Nick’s in seconds. It heats up in seconds but then Luis remembered he was at that party with someone.

“Shit, wait Nick.” Louis moaned when Nick got his hands on Louis’ arse, squeezing his cheeks and rolling his own hips up into him. “Harry!”

Nick stopped all movements, hands still on Louis’ bum, but he looked up at Louis with a very concerned expression. “Um, Louis are you trying to tell me something?”

“What are you—oh god _ew_!” Louis gagged and his back shuddered. “ _No_ , no I am not thinking about Harry—I mean I _am_ thinking about Harry, but not like…” Louis groaned. “Okay, with this,” he shook his hips down onto Nick’s crotch, “I’m only thinking about you. But I mean, I have to tell Harry I left. He’ll be so worried if he starts looking for me.”

“Fine, but make it quick Shrimpy.” Nick murmured into Louis’ neck.

Louis whimpered as he pulled his phone out of his front pocket, Nick was being very distracting. He clicked on Harry’s number, and yanked Nick back by his hair so he could kiss him. The other line rang three times before Harry finally answered and Louis could still here the party going on in the background.

_“Hey Lou, where are you?”_

“I’m in a cab.” Louis said, giggling when Nick leaned back and pouted at him.

_“… dear god why?”_

“Um,” Louis bit his lip, trying so hard not to laugh. “You know how you told me not pull tonight?”

_“NO!”_ Harry shouted. _“No. No. No you promised me! I told you not to take anyone home!”_

“Hazza _relax!_ ” Louis sighed. “I’m going to his place. And yes it is totally safe; I’ll even text you the address.” Louis had to cover Nick’s mouth with one of his hands so he couldn’t laugh too loudly.

_“Okay fine. Who is he then?”_

Louis removed his hand from Nick’s mouth and let him take phone. “Hiya Harry.”

_“Grimmy? Holy fucking shit! Louis—”_

They hung up him in a burst of laughter and Nick tossed the phone onto the seat next to them, and then resumed kissing Louis. They couldn’t stop laughing into each other’s mouths now, limbs bumping together whenever they moved.

“Harry is never going to let this go, you know.” Nick mused.

Louis shrugged, giggling again. “It’s his own damn fault. Now please kiss me again, Horse Face.”

“Sure thing Shrimpy.”

**_FIN_ **


End file.
